Placement Exam

Frequently Asked Questions About Placement Exam

Your CSU student account will be assessed a $10.00 one-time-per-language charge for taking the placement test.

Placement Exam scores are manually entered the first business day after the date of the exam. If you are having trouble registering and one business day has passed since taking the exam, please contact our Department Administrative Assistant at (970)491-6141.

French, German, and Spanish – General Information:

Students who have had previous study of French, German or Spanish in high school and intend to continue in the language must take the online WebCAPE placement exam to determine which level of course to register for at Colorado State University.

The purpose of this CAPE (computer adaptive placement exam) is to provide individualized testing, identifying the student’s ability level with combinations of grammar, reading, and vocabulary questions. In order to achieve the most appropriate placement consistent with the student’s language level, students are expected to complete the placement examination to the best of their ability, without the use of textbooks, dictionaries, or any other type of assistance.

The Department of Foreign Languages and literatures will review the results of the placement examination in conjunction with other information, such as number of years that the language was studied, grades earned, etc. The Department reserves the right to change the student’s placement in a course if it believes that the student has not been placed at the appropriate level, or in the most appropriate course based on the student’s exposure to the language.

Students who believe themselves to have been misplaced on the basis of the placement test should consult with the Department of Foreign Languages and literatures in Clark C104.IMPORTANT NOTE: **You may not place yourself into a course lower than where you tested without permission of the Department of Foreign Languages and literatures. If you do so and attend the incorrect class, you may not receive credit for the course.**

It is strongly recommended that students take the WebCAPE placement examination as soon as possible after completion of their last high school foreign language course. This will ensure that the results correspond to the student’s language level. likewise, it is recommended that students register for a foreign language course soon after taking the placement exam so that it reflects current, actual abilities.

Students who are planning to attend the Colorado State University Preview may take the WebCAPE placement examination before coming to campus to meet with their academic adviser. Students should make sure to print a copy of their placement score for their records. Once they receive their score, they do not need to contact the Department of Foreign Languages and literatures unless they have questions regarding their placement or are advised to do so. Be aware, however, that processing scores may require up to 3 business days, so do not wait until the day you plan to register to take the placement test. After consulting with their academic adviser, they should sign up for the section that best fits their schedule.

INSTRUCTIONS:

You can access the link to the placement exam directly below, but first read the following information.

After successful login to the Placement Exam webpage, the student will then be asked to enter his or her name and student ID number. The student is required to supply an e-mail address to initiate a test record file.

Once the record identification information is entered, the computer prepares the student for the test. The first screen briefly explains that the student is to respond to multiple choice questions by typing and confirming the letter of the correct answer. The exam takes approximately 20 minutes to complete depending on the student’s level. To ensure the student has understood the instructions, a sample test item is given. After this screen the actual test begins. As a student proceeds through the test, the computer selects and displays items based upon his or her previous responses to previous items.

At the conclusion of the test, the computer displays the performance level of the student. The student then consults the placement chart that lists the ranges of performance levels that pertain to the various language courses of the curriculum. Thus, the student is immediately advised of the class that appears most suited to his or her ability level. IT IS ADVISABLE TO PRINT A COPY OF THE SCREEN SHOWING YOUR SCORE IN THE EVENT THE ELECTRONIC SCORE DOES NOT REACH THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES & liTERATURES.

Important: Once you complete the placement exam, your scores will be sent directly to the Department of Foreign Languages and literatures at CSU. If your exam session is interrupted and you have not completed the Placement test, you must login again and enter your information EXACTLY as you did when you started the exam and then click Resume. Do NOT choose Take the Test from Scratch, as your results will not be recorded properly.

HOW TO LOGIN TO THE WEBCAPE PLACEMENT EXAM:
You may access the Placement Exam webpage at:http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org?acct=colostate
To login to the Placement Exam webpage, you must enter the Password. Please use the Password exactly as listed below.
** Password: rams1 (all lower case) **Do NOT enter your CSU password – the only password that will give you access is: rams1